"This is what a man looks like."

From Creative Minority Report, I pass along a clip from Piers Morgan's recent interview with Mark Wahlberg.

Today I learned that Mark Wahlberg is humbly and unapologetically devoted to his family and to his Catholic faith. A good man.

Responding to Morgan's questioning, Wahlberg admitted that he visits his church every day to attend Mass and/or pray. What does he pray for?

"I pray to be a good servant to God, a father, a husband, a son, a friend, brother and uncle, a good neighbor, a good leader to those that look up to me and a good follower to those that are serving God and doing the right thing and people that I can look up to and, you know, try to emulate," said Wahlberg.

Well said. As CMR puts it, "This is what a man looks like."

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, ora pro nobis!

Today is the feast day of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who was canonized in 1975, making her the first American-born saint. Born in New York in 1774, Elizabeth was raised Episcopalian but was received into full communion with the Catholic Church in 1805, two years after her husband's death. To support her five children, Elizabeth opened a school in Baltimore and followed a religious life with other women. In 1809, she took official vows as a religious sister and founded the Sisters of Charity in 1809.

St. Elizabeth led an inspirational life of following Christ and she helped others to do the same. Her simple rule of life was summed up in three steps that she proposed to her religious sisters: "The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly, to do it because it is his will." 

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, educator and servant of the poor, pray for us!

What's in a name? ...or a symbol?

As we've mentioned before on this site, each month of the year is traditionally dedicated to a specific devotion. January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus.

It's easy to see how early Christians came to attach a great spiritual value on the very name of our Lord. In his letter to the Philippians, after all, St. Paul writes: "...God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend ... and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Phil 2:9-11).

Names are important. They are not simply labels for a person; they are a verbal image of the person. Jesus' name, especially, is sacred. Sacred Scripture is full of examples of how the name of our Lord is powerful and effective. It is more than appropriate to honor and revere his name, for it is holy.

It is long-standing custom to bow one's head whenever the name of Jesus is uttered. In fact, Catholics are specifically instructed to bow our heads at every mention of Jesus' name during the Mass (as well as at the names of the Holy Trinity, Our Lady and the Saint being celebrated in that particular Mass).

The General Instructions of the Roman Missal (GIRM) (which you can read online here) clearly states:

"A bow signifies reverence and honor shown to the persons themselves or to the signs that represent them. There are two kinds of bow: a bow of the head and a bow of the body. 

a) A bow of the head is made when the three Divine Persons are named together and at the names of Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of the Saint in whose honor Mass is being celebrated." (GIRM, No. 275)

St. Bernadine of Siena (d. 1444)

The feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, which we celebrate today, dates back to the fifteenth century. But long before this, there was a fervent devotion to the Holy Name. St. Bernard of Clairvaux (d. 1153) promoted devotion to the Holy Name as did the famed Franciscan preachers St. Bernadine of Siena (d. 1444) and St. John of Capistrano (d. 1456). Both Bernadine and John would preach missions in cities throughout Europe and carried with them wooden tablets painted with a monogram of the Holy Name, which they would encourage the faithful to venerate after their sermons. They also encouraged families to place a copy of the monogram of Jesus' name above the doors of their homes and above the gates in their cities. Many years later, the Society of Jesus (i.e. the Jesuits) adopted a version of the sacred monogram as the primary emblem for their society.

Today, it is common to see the monogram that Sts. Bernadine and John of Capistrano promoted used in Church artwork or as a decorative motif in churches and on sacred vestments. This monogram is comprised of three letters: IHS. These correspond to a Latinization of the first three letters in the Greek version of Jesus' name: IHSOYS (sometimes, it is written IHC, because C and S are interchangeable). So, this monogram is basically an abbreviation of Jesus' name.

There are other monograms associated with our Lord as well. Another well-known example is sometimes called the Christogram -  a symbol where the Greek letters Chi (X) and Rho (P) are interposed on one another. This symbol is known as the "Chi Rho" (real original, huh?), and it is an ancient abbreviation for the Greek title "Christos,"or Christ. Chi and Rho are the first two letters in the spelling of this word. The Chi Rho has been used by Christians since the early centuries of the Church and it was adopted by the Roman Emperor Constantine as a symbol of his Christian faith and a symbol of the Empire. He had his soldiers paint the Chi Rho on their shields before battle and used it on the coinage that he minted, as did other Roman Emperors during the fourth through seventh centuries.

My challenge to you today is to take on a brand new New Year's resolution: honor the name of Jesus. How can you do this? Well, here are three easy tips:

1) During Mass, bow your head each time Jesus' name is uttered. Yep - every time. As we pointed out above, this isn't just a pious custom, it is actually one of the instructions for the faithful during Mass. So, not only will you actually be following what the Church asks us to do, you will actually start to develop a sensitivity to the gravity and power of our Lord's holy name.

2) If you use the Lord's name in vain, stop. Whether it's used nonchalantly or even as a curse word, we are not to use the Lord's name in vain. Be deliberate with your use of the Holy Name. If you're in a bad habit of blaspheming by cussing with Jesus' name, ask for God's help to stop.

3) Work on coming to an internal reverence for Jesus' name - whenever and wherever it is spoken. Jesus name literally means "God saves." Think about that for a moment. God saves. Whenever we say the name of our Lord with reverence and begin to consciously honor his name, we reaffirm the divine truth that in Jesus, God saves. That's pretty powerful stuff. There was a time when Catholic men would remove their hats and all Catholics would bow there heads whenever Jesus' name was spoken - anywhere and everywhere. When his name was taken in vain, Catholics in the room would cross themselves and mutter a silent prayer ("Blessed be the name of the Lord!"). Pious actions such as these can influence our faith over time - and can influence the faith of others who witness them.

Finally, in honor of the Holy Name of Jesus, try praying the Litany of the Holy Name today.

So, what's in a name (or a symbol)? Power. Blessing. Truth.

Blessed be the name of the Lord! Now and forever!

Family life: A vehicle for God's grace

Today, on the Feast of St. Stephen - the first deacon and the first martyr for the Christian faith - I'll pass up the opportunity to write about the diaconate or martyrdom. Heady and important topics both, I'll concede, but I have been consumed lately with a draw to reflect on the blessings of family, on the vocation of marriage and on the graces that God provides in the still-small recesses of our homes.

Many of you are or will be called by God to the vocation of marriage and family life. But nearly all of us have families - even if only extended ones. And during the holidays, most of us are spending more time with our families than we have been accustomed to for some time.

Perhaps it's the Christmas season, with its inherent sentimentality; or maybe it is the reflective nature of the reality that yet another year is quickly drawing to a close, but whatever it is that seems to be drawing me in to prayerful reflections on these beautiful but often hidden spiritual truths about family, I am grateful because it has led me to some profound readings and reflections on the goodness and holiness of family life. One such reflection is found in the writings of St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei. One of his published homilies is entitled: "Marriage: A Christian Vocation." His words, which are very appropriate during this Octave of Christmas, read, in part:

At Christmas our thoughts turn to the different events and circumstances surrounding the birth of the Son of God. As we contemplate the stable in Bethlehem or the home of the holy family in Nazareth, Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus occupy a special place in our hearts. What does the simple, admirable life of the holy family tell us? What can we learn from it? 

I would like particularly to comment on one of the many considerations that we might make on this theme. As we read in holy Scripture, the birth of Jesus means the beginning of the fullness of time. It was the moment God chose to show the extent of his love for men, by giving us his own Son. And God's will is fulfilled in the simplest, most ordinary of circumstances: a woman who gives birth, a family, a home. The power of God and his splendour come to us through a human reality to which they are joined. Since that moment Christians have known that, with God's grace, they can and should sanctify everything that is good in their human lives. There is no human situation, no matter how trivial and ordinary it may seem, which cannot be a meeting-place with Christ and a step forward on our journey toward the kingdom of heaven. 

It is only natural that the Church rejoices as it contemplates the modest home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. We read in the hymn from matins on the feast of the Holy Family: 'It is pleasing to recall the lowly house at Nazareth and its slender resources, it is pleasing to tell again in song Jesus' hidden life. Jesus grows up in hidden seclusion, to be trained in Joseph's lowly trade. The loving Mother sits beside her dear Son, the good wife by her husband, content if her loving attention can ease and comfort them in their weariness.' 

When I think of Christian homes, I like to imagine them as being full of the light and joy that were in the home of the holy family. The message of Christmas is heard in all its forcefulness: 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will.' 'And may the peace of Christ triumph in your hearts,' writes the Apostle. It is a peace that comes from knowing that our Father God loves us, and that we are made one with Christ. It results from being under the protection of the Virgin, our Lady, and assisted by St Joseph. This is the great light that illuminates our lives. In the midst of difficulties and of our own personal failings, it encourages us to keep up our effort. Every Christian home should be a place of peace and serenity. In spite of the small frustrations of daily life, an atmosphere of profound and sincere affection should reign there together with a deep-rooted calm, which is the result of authentic faith that is put into practice.

During these days of the Christmas season, most of us are blessed to be able to spend a little more time with our families. See this time for what it is: a blessing. Sometimes that can be a difficult task. But God asks us to look not for reasons to complain, but for reasons to praise and to number our blessings, not our difficulties.

Find those reasons. Count your blessings and praise and thank God for all of them - especially for your families. Remember always that the family is the oldest of human institutions and is God's most basic building-block for the building up of his Kingdom. Furthermore, as Bl. John Paul II taught, the family is a "school of love." Learn to love in your family. If necessary, love to learn your family.

Finally, I'll leave you today with a prayer for families by Bl. Theresa of Calcutta:


Heavenly Father,
you have given us the model of life
in the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Help us, O Loving Father,
to make our family another Nazareth
where love, peace and joy reign.
May it be deeply contemplative,
intensely eucharistic,
revived with joy.


Help us to stay together in joy
and sorrow in family prayer.
Teach us to see Jesus in the members of our families,
especially in their distressing disguise.
May the eucharistic heart of Jesus 
make our hearts humble like his
and help us to carry out our family duties
in a holy way.
May we love one another
as God loves each one of us,
more and more each day,
and forgive each other's faults
as you forgive our sins.
Help us, O Loving Father,
to take whatever you give
and give whatever you take with a big smile.


Immaculate Heart of Mary,
cause of our joy, pray for us.


St. Joseph, pray for us.


Holy Guardian Angels,
be always with us,
guide and protect us.


Amen. 

The Dark Night Returns

St. John of the Cross

Today is the Feast of St. John of the Cross (Juan de la Cruz). His works are some of the most introspective and painstakingly honest works in all of Western Christianity. His most notable work is "The Dark Night of the Soul". It is both poem and spiritual instruction.

"Into this dark night souls begin to enter when God draws them forth from the state of beginners—which is the state of those that meditate on the spiritual road—and begins to set them in the state of progressives—which is that of those who are already contemplatives—to the end that, after passing through it, they may arrive at the state of the perfect, which is that of the Divine union of the soul with God. Wherefore, to the end that we may the better understand and explain what night is this through which the soul passes, and for what cause God sets it therein..." 
(Chapter 1 of "The Dark Night of the Soul")

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

An appropriate prayer to start your day:

"Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me."

-St. Patrick

"I'll do better... tomorrow..."

"God has promised forgiveness to your repentance but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination."

- St. Augustine of Hippo (d. 430)

The Church: "hospital for sinners"

"Enter into the Church and wash away your sins. For there is a hospital for sinners and not a court of law."
- St. John Chrysostom (d. 407)

Humility is a necessary and good thing. But quite often in our Christian lives, we suffer from a delusion that masks itself as humility: a delusion that would have us to believe that we are not 'good enough' to go to Mass. Ponder the quote above.

When we are at our weakest, our most despicable, our lowest point, spiritually - that is when we are most in need of God's healing grace. That is when we should run to (not shy away from) the Church. Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, is only a few hours away. Our souls are sick. The Great Physician is calling and waiting, patiently, to heal us. May we not turn away his merciful offer to heal our souls. May we run to his "hospital."

Sort of puts things in perspective...

"You have the Eucharist. What more do you want?" 

- St. Peter Julian Eymard (d. 1868)

Worry not. Pray hard.

St. Paul, apostle.

"Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

St. Paul's letter to the Philippians 4:6-7

Learn to love

"You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working, and just so, you learn to love by loving. All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves."

-St. Francis de Sales (d. 1622)

Won't you take a few minutes...

...to stop by the church and visit with our Lord today?

"When you approach the tabernacle remember that He has been waiting for you for twenty centuries."

- St. Josemaria Escriva (d. 1975)

Living your Faith is tough...

Don't give up.


"We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials."

-St. Teresa of Avila (d. 1582)